


notes of new love

by Faye_Reynolds



Series: tumblr au prompts [23]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Bartender!Dick, Jazz!AU, M/M, musician!gene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 13:56:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13389237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faye_Reynolds/pseuds/Faye_Reynolds
Summary: frommy tumblr post





	notes of new love

**Author's Note:**

> from [my tumblr post](http://thecompanyofheroes.co.vu/post/162778463643/wintersroe-jazzau-musiciangene)

there’s something about new orleans that gene’s always loved. everything about the town told a story full of life, from a broken brick on a street to the buildings that filled the french quarter. he loved it all and loved that he got to be a part of what makes the city sing at night. playing in a jazz band in a packed club every night gave him satisfaction like nothing else could. and if he stared at the new bartender too long, well that was just icing on the cake. one night, he caught the bartender staring back at him, a small smile on his face, and gene had to look away before he messed up any more notes. that night, when gene was packing up, the man approached him and asked for the tour of the city from a native. gene blushed and accepted, feeling like he was accepting way more than what was offered.

* * *

 

after a long day full of music, laughter, food, and conversation, gene took dick to his favorite coffee shop.

they relaxed in the shade and listened to the jazz flowing from the open windows.

“there’s something about cities, isn’t there? or maybe it’s ‘cause i’m from one.”

gene looked over to dick and found the man staring at him.

“why you lookin’ at me like that?”

dick smiled, “you’re unlike anyone i’ve ever met.”

gene’s jaw dropped.

“helluva line to drop on a guy, dick.”

dick smiled, “sorry. i just…i don’t know…there’s something about you that i can’t put my finger on.”

gene reached over and placed his hand on the other man’s, “i could say the same thing about you.”

their fingers laced together and they settled into comfortable silence.

gene smiled softly, but felt like something was off. like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

* * *

a couple of weeks later, it dropped.

the club was packed, even more so than usual. mardi gras was coming up and everyone was starting their celebrations early this year.

gene was playing, losing himself in the music, fingers flying fast over the keys, drowning out all of the chatter in the room.

they finished their song, taking off for a quick break, when gene looked over to the bar.

he saw a man, very clearly flirting with dick. there were always people flirting with him, some for free drinks, others for more  _personal_  requests.

dick always brushed them off, politely and usually they gave up.

but this guy clearly wasn’t taking no for an answer and when dick went to go to the back room for more bourbon, the man cornered him against the door.

gene was across the room in an instant and pulling the man away from dick and onto the ground.

“back the fuck up, he’s clearly not interested.”

the man got up, he had a few inches on gene and maybe another twenty pounds, but gene was so furious that he didn’t care.

“oh yeah? and what the hell are you gonna do about it?”

the man pushed gene, hard, and gene saw red.

he suckerpunched the man directly in his jaw, just like snafu taught him when then were fourteen, and then attacked him as he fell to the ground. 

he got another good three punches in before dick pulled him away.

“gene stop.”

gene saw the man run out, tail between his legs, and smiled with smug satisfaction.

“i’m stoppin’.” gene looked to dick and saw an unimpressed, possibly angry look on his face.

“why did you do that? i had it under control.”

“he was in your space, dick. i know what these crowds can get like. trust me.”

dick crossed his arm across he chest.

“and you should trust me to handle myself. i don’t need you to protect me.” dick finished with a clipped tone that made gene flinch before he was angry again.

“i was just trying to help, dick.”

“i don’t need your help.”

“yeah? well maybe i don’t need you at all!”

gene ran out of the club as fast as he could, pushing everyone out of his way.

he didn’t stop running until he reached his house. and when he was finally inside, he crashed to the floor and cried.

* * *

dick didn’t seen gene for two weeks after that night. he’d called, text, left messages, and even stopped by his house a few times, all went unanswered.

he didn’t know what to do. he didn’t want to lose gene, not after he’d just found him. before the fight, everything had been going so well. he’d even started falling for gene and could tell the man was falling for him too. it couldn’t end like this, it couldn’t end at all.

he called someone to cover his shift and went to gene’s house. 

he made himself at home on the porch, determined to wait him out.

* * *

“you’re an idiot, ya know that right?”

gene rolled his eyes as snafu climbed into the driver’s seat.

“yeah i know that snaf, now drive the damn car.”

“i’m just sayin’, you and i have a likin’ to redheads.”

“yeah but we’ve known sledge since we were kids. this is different.”

“i don’t think so.” snafu said in a singsong voice that made gene want to hit him.

“why?” he asked.

“because you talk about him like the way i talk about sledge. all hearteyes and shit.”

“i do not.”

snafu looked at gene with a look that meant he knew he was lying.

“fine, so i do. doesn’t matter ‘cause i fucked it up.”

“nah, you just gotta apologize and we all know how much you hate doin’ that. i think mrs. alcorn is still waitin’ on an apology for her window that you broke in  _third_  grade.”

gene slapped snafu’s arm, “i didn’t break that damn window and there ain’t a soul out there that could prove it.”

snafu laughed and lit a cigarette.

“i’m just sayin’.”

gene sighed and watched the town speed by.

“i know snaf, i know.”

* * *

dick had been sitting on the porch for well over three hours. this was stupid, he didn’t even know if gene was home or in town or was out for the night or the weekend. he was just about to go home when a black car pulled up the driveway. he stood, nervous and fidgety, hoping that gene would exit the car.

instead, he shoulders slumped as a redheaded man got out.

he approached dick with a sweet smile, “can i help you?”

dick shuffled his feet, “i’m just waiting on someone.”

“you waitin’ on gene?”

dick smiled, “yeah.”

the man smiled, “well come inside, you can wait for him there.”

dick put his hands up, “no, no, i should probably go.”

the man just pushed him forward, back towards the stair.

“nonsense, get in the house. gene should be back soon.”

dick waited awkwardly as the man opened the door.

“you wouldn’t happen to be dick, would you?”

dick nodded, “yeah i am.”

the man clapped him on the shoulder and pulled him inside, “tell me about yourself dick.”

* * *

for all of his love for new orleans, he really hated mardi gras season. the traffic was unbearable.

“fuck this is awful.”

gene mumbled in agreement and lit another cigarette.

“sledge at the house?”

“lemme check.” snafu pulled his phone out and burst into laughter.

he was about to tell gene the good new when gene groaned, “he didn’t send you another dirty picture, did he? y’all never know when to quit.”

offended, snafu merely said that sledge was there, he didn’t tell him who was with him though. serves him right for judging his healthy sexual relationship.

there was a break in the traffic and snafu took it, flicking off all of the other angry drivers he cut off.

“people are so inconsiderate, gene.”

gene laughed and blasted the radio as they sped down the street.

* * *

“i’m gene by the way, but everyone calls me sledge.”

dick smiled over his glass of iced tea, “nice to meet you and thanks for the tea.”

sledge shrugged and asked, no filter for his thoughts, “so why does roe think he fucked up?”

dick inhaled the tea and choked for half a minute before asking, “what?”

“well gene’s been at our house for a week and i love the man, but he’s been moping the entire time. he said he fucked up and i want to know why he thinks that.” sledge narrowed his eyes and dick felt both threatened and nervous.

but he explained, nonetheless, everything that had happened and everything he had felt. he wasn’t angry at gene for defending him, he wasn’t angry that gene got into a fight. he was angry because gene got into a fight  _over_  him, that gene put himself in harm’s way because of dick.

“oh okay, snaf, that’s my husband, and i are like that too. you haveta understand that me, him, and gene all grew up together, thick as thieves, and all of us scored a six on the kinsey scale, if you catch my drift. so really we were the only ones we could rely on. and we had to learn to fight at an early age. time’s they are a changin’ but we’re still in the south and people still have strong feelings about people like us. anyway, we’ve had to fight a lot in our lives and it’s kind of a natural reaction at this point.”

dick nodded, he could understand that, his high school year were nothing short of awkward forced encounters with girls nix had tried to set him up with and a couple fights with guys who wouldn’t leave him be.

“i can understand that, i just don’t want to see him hurt.”

“well he’s hurting now,” sledge pointed a finger at dick, “so i expect you to sort this out. gene’s my best friend and he’s a good man with a good heart.”

dick nodded solemnly. 

“so how fast did the guy go down?” sledge smiled as he pulled himself onto the counter.

dick laughed, “one hit, gene’s hands moved faster than he plays the piano.”

sledge laughed loudly, “that’s my boy.”

* * *

snafu pulled into the driveway too fast and nearly crashed into gene’s garage.

“you’re fucking crazy snaf. next time i’m driving.”

snafu laughed as they walked towards the house.

“don’t be mad. your momma was the one who taught me to drive.”

gene laughed against his better judgement.

“yeah and her license was revoked when she did it.”

they laughed their way into the house, nostalgia make gene feel light for the first time in weeks.

it all stopped when he saw dick sitting at his kitchen table.

for all it’s worth, dick looked as shocked as him. 

sledge interrupted the silence, “well, that’s our awkward cue to leave. dick, lovely meeting you and i hope to see more you in the future.”

he patted gene on the shoulder before whispering into his ear, “he loves you.”

the sweet moment was cut off by him yelling, “merriell shelton get your damn feet off the table before i call your momma!”

gene laughed and moved to sit beside dick.

neither said a word for a moment.

“i’m sorry.” they both said at once.

gene’s eye narrowed and dick smiled inwardly, he could see now how much him and sledge acted alike.

“why are you sorry?”

“because i didn’t let either of us explain ourselves. i didn’t tell you why i was upset. and because i let you walk out the door without following after you.”

gene smiled and grabbed dick’s hand.

he started, “i’m sorry for makin’ you feel that way you did, but i’m not sorry for the fight.”

dick shrugged, “he was an asshole, anyway.”

gene laughed, “and i’m sorry for ignoring you. i just assumed you were calling to tell me it was over and i had already expected that, i just didn’t want to hear it. i love you too much to have to ever hear that.”

both men’s eyes widened at the confession.

eventually, when the shock wore off, dick smiled warmly.

“i love you too.”

gene leaned over the edge of the table and climbed into dick’s lap, remembering weeks ago when they’d been in this exact position, only this time their clothes were on.

gene kissed dick’s lips like he was starving for it.

“aw, honey, our little boy is all grown up.”

gene groaned and stared angrily at snafu.

“sledge! tell snaf he has ten seconds to get out my house before i call his momma!”

snafu narrowed his eyes testing to see if gene would follow through. he saw the threat was real and was out of the door before gene could dial.

sledge popped his head in, “have a good night you two lovebirds.”

gene groaned but smiled when he heard the door shut.

“wanna take this upstairs?”

dick smiled and kiss gene lightly, “i’ll follow you anywhere.”


End file.
